As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it must be visited by every human at least once in their lives. So here we are, in Agra, finally exploring the ultimate monument of love and pride of India.

This time, instead of traveling independently, we wanted to try something different. We decided to try one of Tinggly’s experiences: a private full-day tour to the Taj Mahal from Delhi for two. Apart from visiting Taj Mahal, the tour also included discovery of the epic Agra Fort and the architectural wonder – the Tomb of Akbar the Great in Sikandra. Moreover, we paid a quick visit to Akbar International – a government sponsored shop dedicated to preserving native craftsmanship.

One of the biggest advantages of this trip was the fact that during the entire experience we were accompanied by a professional guide, learning the fascinating and emotional history behind these buildings and marble – the precision and beauty of their designs.

Our Taj Mahal Experience

Our tour to the Taj Mahal from Delhi to Agra started early in the morning. At 7:45 am we were picked up by a private driver from the hostel and kicked off this exciting day in comfort with an air-conditioned vehicle.

After 4 hours of driving, we were welcomed to Agra by our private tour guide – a lovely lady named Sheela, who shared all stories not only about the city she loved, but also about her beloved country.

We’ve found out that Taj Mahal was built in 22 years (1631-1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan. It was dedicated to Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah, who he was truly in love with (the rest of his marriages were for political reasons).

We were told that 20.000 workers labored and 32 crore rupees were spent during the construction of the monument and it was built according to Islamic architecture.

No doubt it is one of the Unesco world heritage sites – it’s truly a masterpiece!

We spent few hours exploring the monument. Time flew. We were taking pictures, listening to Sheela’s stories, walking around different parts of Taj Mahal and admiring its beautiful gardens where we had a chance to sit in the sun.

Agra’s Fort

Next we drove to the walled city of Agra, that was constructed of red sandstone by 4000 builders over a period of 8 years.

Agra’s fort is another UNESCO World Heritage Sites, that once housed some 500 buildings.

Agra Fort is very impressive and our guide provided interesting insights into the site’s history.

We highly recommend it to be explored although you may be a bit tired after spending so much time at the Taj Mahal.

Akbar International

After a guided tour we were taken to an expensive sovereign gift shop which we honestly were not interested in.

We were initially taken through a simple demonstration of how stone embedding in marble was done. After this, we were taken to the expensive show room with the most exquisite pieces of marble in Agra. That being said, price is a very personal matter.

You could bargain and go with your feeling of what the pieces are worth to you.

In the meantime our guide took us to a nice restaurant with an open buffet where we tried a lot of different Indian dishes – from butter chicken to garlic naans and local soups.

Our driver on the left and Sheela – our guide on the right. Thank you both!

That was indeed a great day exploring Agra and we both fell asleep in a car on the way back to our hotel in Delhi :-). And now we also know what is awaiting someone who gets a Tinggly gift of travel.

Welcome to the Taj and Agra guys. Great to see that you made it there.

I remember visiting in 2001 and it was certainly a must see. I also had a guide which was a great God send. Amongst all the chaos of the queing they can make sense of things and give you fast access to areas whilst also a great history lesson. (all the stuff which is more difficult to do on your own).

The expensive shops is sadly a standard feature for these tours and the commissions can make a good month for your tour guide. I remember that we went to a marble shop like this (I did buy some coasters which are still going strong 15 years later!) and a clothing shop. Like you say the price is very much something you make your own judgement on as to whether it is worth it or not.

I agree with you. Taj Mahal is a place you have to see once in a lifetime. And I think I would visit it with a tour/guide as well to find out more about the history of the place. Did Taj Mahal met your expectations?

That’s the one thing I don’t really like about guided tours. They always stop in really expensive gift shops where everything is at least $30 or more! Other than that, guided tours are amazing! I did get Tinggly for someone over Christmas. I wonder what they’ll do with it. :)

Having taken my share of tours I must say that private tours are the way to go. It is harder to hear the guide in larger groups, plus it is more difficult to get the ideal shot. To often a fellow tourist gets in the way of that perfect shot.

As for the craft showrooms, they all do it. When we were at the Dead Sea, our entire busload was herded into a shop full of assorted personal care products. Perhaps on a private tour one might offer larger tips instead.

I imagine the tour experience differs from doing it on your own. Smart move to get a customized experience. As for the place itself I have to visit because how can I miss a Wonder of the World? Fabulous pictures and super post!

Our package was 7 days Golden Triangle (Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Amber Fort, Sikandra, Taj Mahal, Jaipur and I believe Akbar Int’l also)with hotels and breakfasts and private driver with local tour guides in every area we went for #306 pp in 2012. I’m sure the price had gone up, but it was such a deal then.

This might seem horrifying, but we’ve never visited the Taj!
I’ve been almost to the whole of India and maybe it’s one of those things – you put it off because it’s your home country :)
Now that I’m in the UK, I have to ensure to plan a longer holiday to pay a visit!
A tinggly tour seems like a great gift idea! :)

I enjoyed this post particularly as I went there with my family some time ago. I’ll always remember that we took a photo of all of us in front of the Taj Mahal but when it came out we were
obscuring the Taj and could have been anywhere!

We also took a lot of pictures in front of the Taj Mahal and it was truly a great memory! Best souvenir ever. The picture of me and Cez there is sticked to my room’s wall :). Each time I look at it I can stop smiling! :)

Amazing post. I have been to India and Agra, Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal is known for the monument of love and it is a feast to eyes and senses to watch the beauty of Taj Mahal on the night of full moon day. I just loved that place.